COLOR CHANGES IN FUNDULUS AFTER HYPOPHYSECTOMY

¹ DEPARTMENT OF ANATOMY, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

When the hypophysis of a Fundulus is ground up in 0.05 cc. N/10 NaCl and a scale from this fish is mounted in such an extract, the xanthophores "expand" while the melanophores "contract," although brain and muscle extracts prepared in the same way have no effect on the pigment cells. The hypophysis of Fundulus does contain the melanophore principle. In spite of this fact, when the hypophysis is removed from Fundulus, the animal still responds to changes in background and to total darkness in the usual manner. Moreover, the slow change in tint of denervated areas occurs as readily in hypophysectomized as in normal animals. In other words, the removal of the hypophysis has no apparent effect on the pigmentary responses which Fundulus may exhibit.

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